With so much tension and fear in the travel world today, it's important to remember the real value of travel: Its ability to bring cultures together, and yield the unexpected. The same sentiment applies to music, too. In this edition of Global Playlist, we look at some of the magic that has been created when musicians from around the world get into the same studio or share the same stage. Whether it's the grandfather of Malian blues, Ali Farka Touré trading solos with American guitar hero Ry Cooder, or Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood teaming up with the Israeli Shye Ben Tzur and 19 musicians from Rajasthan in India, here are some sonic examples of what can happen when people fly across the world and come together, instead of staying divided.

Ali Farka Touré and Ry Cooder: "Soukora"The late legend of Mali, Ali Farka Touré, teams up with American guitarist Ry Cooder, for Talking Timbuktu, an album that put Malian blues on the map and inspired hundreds of artists from around the world to collaborate.

D'Gary and Béla Fleck: "Kinetsa"American banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck took a tour of Africa to search for the origins of the banjo, which was captured in the documentary Throw Down Your Heart. Along the way, he collaborated with D'Gary, a guitarist and singer from Madagascar.

Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood, and the Rajasthan Express: "Junun"Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood joined forces with the Israeli-American musician Shye Ben Tzur and 19 Rajasthani musicians to create the double-album Junun, which was released last year.

René Lacaille and Bob Brozman: "Pondaurat"An unlikely collaboration between an accordionist from Reunion Island and a slide guitarist from the United States.

AfroCubism: "Mali Cuba"This is what Buena Vista Social Club was supposed to be, but the Malian musicians who had been recruited for the projects ran into visa troubles. Finally, in 2010, producer Nick Gold pulled it off on a Grammy-nominated album that brings Malian all-stars like Toumani Diabaté, Bassekou Kouyate, and Djelimady Tounkara together with Cuban legends like Eliades Ochoa of Buena Vista fame.

DRC Music: "Hallo"A cut from the album Kinshasa One Two, which saw British songwriter Damon Albarn (Gorillaz, Blur) collaborating with a host of Congolese musicians.

Kiran Ahluwalia and Tinariwen: "Mustt Mustt"A lively rocker that features Indian-Canadian singer Kiran Ahluwalia in the studio with the Tuareg guitar pioneers Tinariwen.

Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer: "Out of the Blue"Béla Fleck on the banjo, tabla prodigy Zakir Hussain propelling mind-blowing rhythms, and Edgar Meyer on a double-bass. Throw in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for good measure and you have a one-off collaboration that we wish would make many, many more records.

DJ Krush and ?uestlove: "Endless Railway"The Japanese electronic pioneer DJ Krush brings in The Roots' ?uestlove to make an irresistible beat even groovier.

Toots & The Maytals and Willie Nelson: "Still Is Still Moving to Me"Key figures in Jamaican reggae bring in a dose of Willie Nelson's signature Texan country vibes.